#YesWeCode & StartUp Weekend reception

Community Members, Business Leaders and Investors gather at Impact Hub Oakland to Discuss “How to Build a Silicon Valley that Lives up to Dr. King’s Dream.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Van Jones - Rebuild The Dream

Feb. 6, 2014 - OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland’s first Startup Weekend Black Male Achievement (BMA), takes place February 7 - February 9, 2014. “Startup Weekend Oakland - Black Male Achievement is inclusive and focuses on progressive community problem solving intended to inspire collaboration amongst diverse ethnicities, professions and genders,” says Kalimah Priforce, Co-Founder of Qeyno Labs, the host for this historic event. The reception provides an opportunity for networking amongst leaders in the technology community,and a chance to meet the young people who have been building apps for the weekend before they prepare for their final pitches on Sunday. “I am excited to help out with Startup Weekend Oakland. This is an event that is relevant and something out of the ordinary,” states Alexander Cowan, Founder and CTO of Leonid Systems.

Van Jones will give the keynote at Saturday's evening reception and discuss his vision for Rebuild The Dream's latest program: #YesWeCode, a major initiative to help train 100,000 low-opportunity youth become the next generation of world-class computer programmers. "Our aim is to make the training, tools and technology of Silicon Valley available to our communities – providing education and access that will demystify the language of coding," says Jones. "Building a Silicon Valley that lives up to Dr. King's dream," is the panel discussion for the evening reception. Panelists include: Kimberly Bryant (Black Girls Code), Obai Rambo (Black Young Democrats of San Francisco), Marc Philpart (PolicyLink), Shaun Tai (Oakland Digital), Nicole Sanchez (Kapor Center for Social Impact), and Dan Portillo (Greylock Partners). Drew Lisac will moderate the discussion. Tickets for the reception can be purchased by visiting: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/yeswecode-oakland-reception-a.... "This Startup Weekend has the potential to be a real game changer, hopefully disrupting too-tired tropes by harnessing untapped talent to envision a new way forward," states Cedric Brown Managing Partner, Kapor Center for Social Impact.

Startup Weekend Oakland “Black Male Achievement,” takes place at Impact Hub Oakland, located at 2323 Broadway. Impact Hub Oakland is equal parts inspiring workspace, entrepreneurial incubator and community of socially minded people. To support the assembly of community member participation for this event, Startup Weekend Oakland is recruiting from The Hidden Genius Project and aligning with leaders from various organizations to assist with the generation of technology solutions conceptualized by members of the community. Find out more information by visiting:

Startup Weekend Oakland’s family of contributors, sponsors, and community partners are diverse in nature and key players in the technology industry. "At ThoughtWorks our mission is to better humanity through technology. Without proper structural support, underrepresented groups will fall farther behind the curve. We're excited to be involved with Startup Weekend Oakland as it helps to spark thought-leadership and give young black communities the chance to tap their full potential," states Amit Kaul. For sponsorship opportunities please send an email to: info@swoakland.com. For information regarding the #YesWeCode initiative and Rebuild The Dream, contact Jen Kim by email: jen@rebuildthedream.com or phone: (323) 743-8166.

About #YesWeCode Initiative

Rebuild The Dream’s, #YesWeCode initiative targets low-opportunity youth and provides them with the necessary resources and tools to become world-class computer programmers. By learning this highly valuable and relevant 21st century skill, these young people are shifting the trajectory of their futures and transforming their relationships with their communities and their country. www.yeswecode.org